Sunday, 7 March 2010

Political Party Websites and Social Media

This week another email correspondent (American this time) mentioned the SNP website to me, saying although it had been given a 'bit of a facelift', it still had an outdated feel and the index page only apportioned a small box to the latest news.

In the past I've been critical of the SNP website's design and their seeming reluctance to use social media such as Facebook and Twitter. I know they have some excellent articles in their archives but they're not easy to find for the average visitor.

The SNP do use Twitter but there's no mention of it on their portal page. There's no mention of their Facebook page either. One third of the page is blank - what a waste. The Fact Check is an excellent idea yet it is below the screen line when it should be near the top of the page to attract attention.

Many of you will know I have few IT skills, but I do know what I like about websites. We all differ I'm sure and to make it easy for you to do comparisons here is the Scottish Conservatives site, the Scottish Labour site (someone must be colour blind!) and the Scottish Libdems site, which I think is the worst of the 'big four' in Scotland. It doesn't like Mac Safari either. Surely the libdems with their multitude of bloggers can produce a better website.

To be fair the Scottish Green Party must be included along with Scottish UKIP. Neither of these parties promote interaction with placing a Facebook or Twitter connection on their home pages.

There's my tuppence worth. Which one do you prefer for ease of reading, ease of use and general design appeal?